He is glad
to have them near him, and he places an old cart-wheel on top of his
house as a foundation for their nest of sticks.
Near some of the steamboat landings in Florida no shouting is allowed.
The wild ducks and coots quickly learn to know where they are safe, and
in these places they are very tame, so that one can walk quite near
them. But when they are outside the spot in which they are protected
they are as shy as the wildest ducks.
Throughout the South it is against the law to kill the buzzards or
vultures. These birds are very useful. They are public scavengers,
devouring many things which would cause disease. The birds know that
they have no one to fear and they hop about the streets as tame as
chickens.
You see, therefore, that the birds will trust us when they learn that we
are their friends. If you would encourage them to make their home near
yours, you might provide little boxes for them to occupy or make holes
in hollow limbs where they can place their nests.
They enjoy, too, a trough of water in which they can bathe. When winter
comes a piece of tallow in the trees will prove a rich treat to the
chickadee, and a few seeds scattered on the snow will make a feast for
the hardy snowbirds.
[Illustration with caption: Bird-house.
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